Cable-grip



UNIT STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. HOWE, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CABLE-GRI P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,983, dated November 2, 1886.

Application filed September 24, 1885. Serial No. 177,985. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Howe, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gable Grips; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures marked thereon, which form a "part of this specification.

My invention relates to cable grips, such as are used to transmit motion to cars by gripping a cable used for the purpose of propelling cars; and the object of my invention is.

. operator, thus obviating the necessity of using other power than that of the cable in passing intersecting cables, asis now the case.

My invention also consists in a grip and mechanism,with a multiplying tension-spring, that automatically increases the gripping power of the engaged jaws at the same time and by the same means that are employedto relieve the opposite set of jaws of the propelling-cable when crossing intersecting cables.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figurel is aside view of myinvention, showing the parts that are worked by the operator to start and stop thecar to which the grip is attached. Fig. 2 is areverseside view of Fig. Land shows the part that works automatically, when crossing an intersecting cable, by the aid of a guide fixedand stationary in the desired position adjacent to the cable upon which the grip is acting. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the relative positions of the working parts that form the front set of jaws when clamping a cable before running upon the guide. Fig. 4 is a top view of my invention, looking in the direction of the arrow from the dotted line as m, Fig. 1, showing the position the arms bear to the stationarywedge-shaped guide that raises top, leaving them free to move so far as to open and relieve the cable at the first set of jaws, so as to allow the intersecting cable to pass under them. The same operation takes place with the second set of jaws, so as to admit the passage under them also of the intersecting cable; from which it will be seen that when the front set of jaws are released from their grip upon the cable propelling the car the back set exert all the gripping power necessary to keep the car in motion, and that the front set operate in like manner in their turn to propel the car while the intersecting cable passes under the back set of jaws.

The same letters and numerals are employed in all the figures to indicate identical parts.

The grip is to be fastened to the car from the ends of the cross-frame P P, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, on which a frame, a, supports wheel O,which has in its hub a female nut for the reception of the male screw b,which is attached to the upper end of slide B, Figs. 1, 2, that works in the slot in frame A, Figs, 1, 2, 3, as indicated by the action of screw 1). Fastened to the slide B, Fig. l, and at the end opposite the screw 1), is a cross-piece, D, Fig. 1, the ends of which are at right angles to the cross-piece and are formed into wedges, as shown at f, Fig. 3. Fastened as abovedescribed the motion of the wedges are coincident with the slide B, which, when operated, moves the wedges (that are shown by the dotted lines as the continuation of crosspiece D, Fig. 1) f f, causing them to slide on the frame A, and under the upper ends of jaws E and E, Figs. 1, 3, and 4., that are centrally hinged to frame A at the edges near the bottom. When thus operated, the opposite ends of the jaws E and E, Figs. 1 and 3, will grip the cable L, Figs. 1 and 3, while a reverse motion will remove the pressure from the cable and allow the car to remain at rest. As the jaws E and E are duplicates, the act-ion of each is the same in responding to the motion of the wedgesff, Fig. 1, either to clamp or relieve the cable, as desired.

The jaws F and F, Fig. 2, with arms G attached, have a slot, B, Fig. 3, for the reception of the ends of spring K, Figs. 2 and 4, which is fastened to the frame A by the clamp d passing around the center, leaving the ends free to act with the jawsF and F, the resilient ends of the spring bearing and sliding within said slot, when operated, by the arms G coming into contact with the guide H, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, that is stationed in the desired position adjacent to the cable upon which the grip is operating to automatically open the jawsF F to allow the cable L to be relieved, so that the intersecting cable N,-Fig. 1, may slide under the first set of jaws,F and E, Fig. 3, before the armG passes off the guide H, to allow the jaws F and E, Fig. 3, to grip the cable L, by the action of the spring K forcingthe jaw F to its former position (represented in Fig. 3) as the cable L is held in position by the guide-wheel J. This operation is repeated by the back set of jaws, F and E, the arrangement of the stationary guide H being such as to allow the i'ront'set of jaws to recover the cable before the back set are relieved from it. W'hen the front jaw, F, is automatically raised to relieve the cable L, the end of spring K is raised also, thus throwing an extra strain on the jaws F and E to assure certainty of action. This strain is transferred to the front set of jaws, F and E, as the back set, F and E, are operating. The pressure exerted by the spring K upon the hinged jaws F F is automatically effected during their passage over an intersecting cable placed at any angle. When the forward arm, G, comes in contact with the face of the guide H, it consequently opens its connected jaw F, pressing back its contiguous end of the spring K, releasing the cable at that point from contact with thejaws F E, the entire force ofpressare at that time being exerted by the spring upon the rear jaw, F, until the jaw F has passed the intersecting cable, when the power of the spring is transferred from the rear jaw to the front by a similar action of the rear arm with the guide H.

I do not confi ne myself to any particular form of mechanism to operate the slide 13; nor do 1 confine the location of the guide H or wheel J.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-= 1. A cable-grip consisting of frame, slide, and wedges for working front and rear sets of independent-acting gripping-jaws, one jaw of each set only being under the control of the operator, the opposite jaws working alternately and automatically for releasing and recovering the propelling-cable of a moving car while crossing an intersecting cable by the corn tinuous action of guide H on arms G during the operation, as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. Thetensionspring K, in combination with a cable-grip to regulate the strain on the cab le while crossing intersecting cables, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The stationary guide H, in combination with the jaws, arms G, and spring K, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cable-grip, the combination, with the proper actuating mechanism and the stationary guide H, of arms G, tension-spring K, and two sets of alternate and automatically-working jaws, the wedgesff, cross-piece D, slide B, frame A, cross-frame P P, and wheel J, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

' 5. The semi-elliptical spring K, secured to the face of the frame A by the clamp d, in combination with the clampingjaws F F, the resilient ends of the spring passing through the slots R, substantially in the manner herein described, for the purpose set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 17th day of September, 1885.

CHARLES A. HOWE.

Witnesses: v

BYRON SHARP, CHARLES E. Lax, Jr. 

